The Gallant Efforts of Girl Up
Akshata Gandhe, Reporter
October 25, 2019
As we approach the end of the first quarter, we all can agree that being at school has gotten a bit monotonous. What better of keeping yourself occupied than joining Ames High Girl Up! Girl Up is an initiative of the United Nations Foundation and its goal is to address the fifth sustainable development...
Building Inclusivity: Seniors Becoming a Collective
Zoe Mamakos, Co-editor
October 25, 2019
We all know it’s coming. The end of an era, of everything we’ve known for 18 years of life. The last year of high school. The last year of childhood. Where the people you’ve known: the people who have defined you, simply become memories and photographs of all the crazy stories that you te...
Alexa, Play Africa By Toto
Zoe Mamakos and Tim Mooney
October 25, 2019
Bare mango trees, empty, with unripe ones growing on top, are just out of reach. Long dirt roads are beaten down by the radiant African sun. Beautiful greenery, filled in every space you pass, is in every corner you turn. Echoing voices of fragmented English resonate from the classroom. The simple exch...
The Lone Kid Behind Lonewolf
Dani Adams-Valenzuela, Guest Writer
October 25, 2019
In some ways, senior Bjorn Iverson is similar to many other Ames High students. He is a member of quiz bowl and marching band, and he enjoys being a part of a team. If you know him, he is most definitely ‘supportive, relaxed, and encouraging,’ the three words he used to describe his character. But wha...
Jonny’s Big Break
Jonathan Watt, Opinion Editor
May 30, 2019
Between the time it’s taken me to start writing this and the time I actually started writing this, I’ve scrolled through 6 Spotify playlists and watched a total of 33 Youtube videos (I counted in my history). It has been two hours. I guess it’s just hard to write about something that is seem...
Sparkman: A bird finally set free..
Akshata Gandhe, Profiles Editor
May 22, 2019
From derivatives and integrals to chain rules, Stuart Sparkman has saved every struggling AP Calculus student at this school. Mostly known as the “Calc God” by several students, Sparkman has been around teaching Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus for a long time at Ames High School. He probably taught...
The final mic drop: Spence’s farewell after 9 years at Ames high
Zoe Mamakos and Corinne Sailor
May 17, 2019
Imagine the perfect scene. A gym, lacking air conditioning, fills with over a thousand students. Full of underclassmen, upperclassmen, the best teachers, the worst teachers, and the okay teachers all together in one space. The skippers have skipped, the ISU class attendees are at their classes, and the ...
Rhonda Schmaltz
Lucas Bleyle, Co-Editor in Chief
May 17, 2019
After 20 years working at Ames High, business teacher Rhonda Schmaltz will be retiring at the end of the semester. In her time she has taught numerous classes including accounting, desktop publishing, intro to business, and personal finance. “I went to college to be an interior designer and m...
Life is worth living
Zoe Mamakos, Reporter
April 18, 2019
Life is worth living. The everyday routine. The constant argument with your alarm clock as it shakes, ringing 7:00. Again. A brand new day. You sit up in bed, accepting the idea that it’s not quite summer yet. Followed by your parent's words of encouragement floating out the door, as you promis...
Dominik McDonald
Oliver Chen, Co-Editor in Chief
April 18, 2019
If one happens to hear the stately timpani of Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique or the lively xylophone runs of George Gershwin’s American in Paris drifting through the music wing, the source of the music can likely be traced to senior Dominik McDonald. Since he first began taking lessons in eleme...
Akshata Gandhe, Profiles Editor
October 25, 2019
Imagine you’ve had a terrible day at school. You’re walking down the stairs with a heavy backpack causing your shoulders to ache with pain. Every step you take is dragging...
Tamaiah Crawford, Reporter
October 25, 2019
Being the smartest person in the room isn't impossible. It takes effort, commitment and much concentration on the things you are devoted to. A lot of people accomplish this...
Logan Adams-Bacon, Reporter
October 25, 2019
Just imagine, you are laying on the beach in Southern California chillin with your friends. Everyone is having a great time hanging out with each other, no distractions, with...
Seth Bequette, Academics & Arts Editor
March 14, 2019
I’m a bit late for the tea party that is M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Eastrail 177 Trilogy’, though to be fair the first film of this triple play was two years before...